Heel construction for shoes



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Feb. 22, 1944. G, E. MusEBEcK HEEL CONSTRUCTION FOR sHoEs Filed Aprii1o, 1945 Patented Feb. 22, 1944 HEEL CONSTRUCTION FOR SHOES George E.Musebeek, Danville, Ill., assigner to Musebeck Shoe CompanyDanville,Ill., a. corporation Appiication April 1o, 1943, serial No, 482,523

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a heel construction for shoes and the methodof producing heel structures. The invention is directed toward effectingeconomy in the use of sole leather and the cost of production of shoes,while at the same time providing a more rigid and secure heel support.This is accomplished by providing a hollow outsole heel extension inwhich a composition sealing ller is compressed which acts as a bondingor vulcanizing agent between the heel seat and base.

The advantages of this construction, as well as the method of producingthe same will be more readily apparent from the following specicationand the attached drawing.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawing and the following description and claims: f

Fig. l is a bottom view of a shoe in process of construction showing itbefore mounting the heel. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1, with parts broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom View of theheel seat before the heel base is mounted thereon. Fig. 4 is a sectiontaken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5` is the same as Fig. 2, showingthe completed heel construction.

In the drawing there is shown by way of illustration a shoe having anoutsole Il) which is cut so as to terminate at substantially the heelbreast line. The heel seat includes the usual insole I2 and may embodytherein the rear end of a metal shank stiffener I3 as disclosed in myLetters Patent No. 2,290,988, issued July 28, 1942, entitled Process offorming welt shoes. In the usual manner the upper I4 is tacked about theheel seat.

By way of economy in sole leather and cost, particularly in the largersize shoes, the outsole II) is so cut that it extends only to the heelbreast line with the cut end thereof extending transversely and beveledabout five-eighths of an inch so that the free edge merges into thesuriace of the heel seat, as indicated at I5. This beveled portion isthen tacked down by the tacks I6.

To provide the necessary outsole heel extension for receiving the heelbase, a horseshoe-like lift I'I is cut from scrap sole leather in one ormore parts. This piece is of the required thickness and shape to providethe so-le extension. It takes a horseshoe shape so that it surrounds therecess indicated at I8 and if formed in two parts may be spliced at I9.Its free ends are beveled to conform with the bevel I so as to overlapand be spliced to that portion of the so-le. This heel extension pieceis then tacked to the hee seat CII at 20, thereby providing an outsoleheel extension having an internal recess I8.

This recess is packed with a plastic filling material adapted to harden,as indicated by the stipling in the recess I8. The material preferablyemployed is sawdust ground to about the consistency of cornmeal, mixedwith an adhesive, such as pyroxylin cement used in other steps in shoemaking and known as Compo This material when hardened provides a rigidstructure similar in strength and rigidity to solid wood. The ller ispacked into the recess so as to more than ll it, with some bulgingbeyond the plane of the heel piece Il so that when compressed thereinwhile still in a plastic condition, it will be i extruded around andunder the heel piece, the

end of the sole and the lapped upper I4. Thus, when compressed andhardened, it provides an interlocking sealing bond between the variousparts of the heel structure, as well as a strengthening support andfiller.

After the recess I8 has been packed with the y ller, and while it isstill in a plastic state, the heel base 2| is applied and nailed to theheel piece under sufcient pressure to compress the iiller to therequired density while causing it to spread and interlock With the partsof the heel in a sealing and bonding relation.

The spliced joint between the sole and the heel piece I'l is preferablysecured together by furniture glue, in addition to being tacked at 25,which, by reason of the bonding of said piece, acts to iirmly supportand interlock the end of the sole such as to provide an exceptionallystrong joint at the heel breast line. However, the main advantage aswill be observed from the foregoing, lies in the fact that it is notnecessary to obtain full length sole leathers, particularly of thelarger sizes, to extend over the heel seat. Such so-le leather asis cutat the heel breast line may be otherwise used at a saving in cost, whilethe heel lift provided by the scrap piece or pieces, as at II, involveslittle or no expense compared with the saving in the sole leather.However, beyond such economy in production, by reason of the recessformed in the heel and the strengthening and bonding ller therein, allparts of the heel structure, including the heel base, the adjacent endof the sole, the insole, and the overlapping upper, will be bonded tostructurally form a stronger heel.

The invention claimed is:

1. The method of attaching a heel to a shoe having an outsole and heelseat, consisting in securing a supporting and conning strip about theperiphery of the heel seat to provide a heel lift having an enclosedrecess, packing a bonding and sealer iiller composition in said recess,and securing a heel piece over the heel lift and ller under pressure tocompress and conne said filler Within said recess While in a plasticstate to effect an interlocking sealing bond with the assembled parts ofthe heel structure.

2. The method of attachinga heel to a shoe having an outsole and heelseat consisting in securing a supporting and confining strip about theperiphery of the heel seat to provide a heel lift having an enclosedrecess securing the free ends of said strip to the adjacent end of theoutsole at the heel breast line, packing a bonding and sealer illlercomposition in said recess and secur ing a heel base over the heel liftand iiller under pressure to compress and coniine said ller Within saidrecess While in a plastic state to effect an interlocking sealing bondwith the assembled parts of the heel structure.

3. The method of attaching a heel to a shoe having an outsole and heelseat, said outsole terminating at the heel breast line With a beveledsurface feathered to the heel seat, consisting in securing a U-shapedscrap leather strip about the periphery of the heel seat to provide aheel lift having an enclosed recess, tapering and securing the free endsof said strip in overlapping relation to the adjacent end of theoutsole, packing a bonding and sealer iiller of a nely divided Woodcomposition in said recess, and securing a sole base over the heel liftand filler under suicient pressure to compress and conne said plasticfiller within said recess while in a plastic .state to eiect aninterlocking sealing bond with the assembled parts of the heelstructure.

fi. A heel construction for shoes, in combination with an outsoleterminating substantially at the breast line of the heel seat, of a heellift comprising a curved strip extending about the heel seat With itsfree ends joined to theA end of the outsole to provide an enclosedrecess, a ller com prising a bonding and sealing compound packed intosaid recess, and a` heel base secured to said heel lift in compressingrelation to said iiller for conining said ller Within the recess undersuch pressure as to effect a bonding and sealing engagement with theheel structure.

5. A heel construction for shoes, in combination with an outsoleterminating substantially at the breast line of the heel seat, of a heellift cornprising a curved strip extending about said heel seat with itsfree ends joined to the end of the outsole to provide an enclosedrecess, a filler comprising a bonding and sealing compound consisting ofnely divided Wood particles mixed with pyroxylin cement, a heel baseadapted to t over and enclose said ller within said recess, and meansfor securing said heel base to the heel lift with the iiller compoundunder compression to effect a bonding and sealing engagement with theheel structure.

6. A heel construction for shoes, in combination with a leather outsoleterminating substantially at the breast line of the heel seat with abeveled edge, of a heel lift comprising a U-shaped leather stripextending about and secured to said heel seatY with its free endsbeveled and overlapping the beveled portion of said outsole, a bindercomprising a bonding and sealing compound pressed Within the U-shapedstrip to effect a bondingv and sealing engagement between said strip,outsole and heel seat, and a heel base secured to said heel lift andfiller and extending over the beveled portion of said outsole.

7. A heel construction for shoes, in combination with a leather outsoleterminating substantially at the breast line of the heel seat with abeveled edge, of a heel lift comprising a U-shaped leather stripextending about the periphery of the heel seat formed with beveled edgesconforming to and overlapping the beveled edge of the outsole to providean enclosed recess, a iiller coinprising saw dust mixed with pyroxylincement packed Within said recess to overlap the beveled portion of saidoutsole, a leather heel base fitted over the beveled portion of the heelsole and said heel lift to enclose said filler, and means for securingsaid heel base to the heel lift with the iiller compressed thereby toprovide an interlocking bond and seal With the above-mentioned parts ofthe heel structure.

GEORGE E. MUSEBECK.

